What Not to Do in an Interview

If you've spent any time on the job search, you probably know what you should be doing in order to nail your job interview — dress professionally, arrive prepared, and practice your answers, just to name a few. If you follow this advice, you should be ready for the process and prepared for anything that might be thrown at you.

However, mistakes are unavoidable. Perhaps you wrote down your interview time incorrectly or left your notes at home. Some of the more unbelievable missteps to avoid, as detailed by anonymous job seekers or employers and recruiters on MyCrappyResume, are detailed below.

Get Personal

"Once I had to interview a girl for an internship at our company. I inquired why she had changed colleges during her sophomore year, and she proceeded to tell me about how her ex-boyfriend was verbally and physically abusive. TMI."

"I once interviewed a woman and asked her standard interview questions, such as 'What do you need from a boss?' To this question, she replied: 'I need my boss to be my best friend. I'm so lonely. We just moved here a few months ago and I haven't made any friends. I need a friend.'"

"I interviewed a woman once who was hoping to get back into the workforce after a long hiatus. She brought a suitcase full of old, dusty work samples, and her closer was that she was tired of her cat and husband and couldn't wait to be around actual people again."

Try Something You're Not Sure is Appropriate

"I'd read that someone brought lunch for the hiring manager in an interview and got hired. I tried it, and the interviewer said 'No, thank you.' Turned into an awkward moment. I didn't get hired."

Talk Negatively About Your Former Position

"I was interviewing a young man for a customer service position. He had worked at a hair salon, and in describing his experience there, he said, 'I had to deal with a lot of old biddies.' Needless to say, that's where his candidacy ended."

Be Demanding

"A candidate came to the interview with a moped and left it in the reception area. He didn't want it to get stolen, and stated that he would require indoor parking for the moped."

Appear Unprepared

"One time an applicant came in wearing only one shoe. She explained that the other shoe was stolen off her foot in the bus. Wow."

"I was asked to participate in a second phone interview while I was on vacation, and because I was very interested in the job, I obliged. Before I started to answer the first question, my phone completely died. I had no way of retrieving the phone number. Needless to say, I did not get the job."

Insult the Employer

"One time a candidate said he was so well-qualified that if he didn't get the job, it would prove that the company's management was incompetent."

Tell the Employer About Your Other Interviews

"Someone once started an interview with me by saying 'Okay. So, just to set this straight, I did interview for another job that I'm probably going to take if I receive an offer.'"

"During the interview, an alarm clock went off from a candidate's briefcase. He took it out, shut it off, apologized and said he had to leave for another interview."

What else should job seekers avoid doing in an interview? Let us know in the comments or share your professional HR (mis)adventures anonymously on MyCrappyResume.